Water seal.



H. H. DOW;

WATER SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1907.

961,216, Patented June 14,1910.

2 SHEETS-BEBE]! 1.

9/i zrzess as $606 7 Warn/ey- H. H. DOW.v WATER $EAL. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1907.

961 216., Patented June 14,1910 2SHEETS-SHEET 2. I29 9L 3 z w 3 a/ 3 a/ a/ r i a/ w o R Z I s h Wfinesses fnuen/or'i :LW (hf w- Improvement in Water Seals, following is a specification,

'. unrrnn e rnrns Parana current.

HERBERT H. DOW, OF MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, ASSIGII VOR TO THE- CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

warns. SEAL.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented amt 2M, ieio.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. Dow, a citizen of the United States, resident of .Midland, county of Midland, and State ofhave invented a new and useful of which the the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other constructions. r

My invention relates to liquid seals such as frequently'require to be made between a fixed and a rotating conduit. Said inventlon is directed more particularly to the provision of a closure of this sort in conjunction with a horizontally disposed connection, 0c casion for the use of which arises, for example, in connection with a horizontally disposed gas producer, a. type of machine that would possess numerous advantages were it possible to successfully secure a liquid seal between the rotary cylinder of the producer and the pipe, or conduit, leading therefrom. It has been with a view to providing a satisfactory closure of this character for use in places of the sort noted, that the present invention has been devised, and to this .end said invention consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings :-Figure l represents, in more or less conventional fashion, a horizontally disposed gas producer and a connection therefor provided with a liquid seal embodying my several Michigan,

' improvements; Fig. 2 is an axial cross-section of the same; Fig. 3- is a view of the drum or cylinder of the producer, similar to Fig. 1, one partof the connection being removed in order to show another part that is afiixed to said drum or cylinder; while Figs. 4 and 5 represent respectively an axial cross-section and side elevation of a slightly modified form of seal; and Fig, 6 is a side elevation, corresponding to Fig. 3, of the. drum of the producer as adapted to such modification. v

Having reference to the first three of the tents of the same.

figures just described, A will be seen to designate the horizontally disposed drum or cylinder of the producer. Such drum is formed with a hollow trunnion a as shown, through which the gases generated therein are led. Interiorly the drum is further provided with. spiral ribs 21 to properly agitate and move along within the cylinder the con- The trunnions a of such cylinder, the one only appearing in the figures, are supported in suitable bearings a and project a short distance therebeyond, as shown. In the form of connection here illustrated, then, I provide such projectin trun-' nion end with two spaced, encircling anges, or ribs a fixedly attached thereto. Such ribs will be seento form thus a sort of outwardly projecting, trough-like, element. Alined with trunnion a, which forms, as stated, the discharge end of the, cylinder, is the pipe or conduitB wherewith sealed connection is required to be made. The end of such pipe or conduit adjacent to the end of the trunnion is provided with an inwardly opening annular trough-like element 6- that incloses the outermost of the two flanges a upon such trunnion end, Fig. 2. The outer wall of trough-like element 5 is spaced from the outer face of the trunnion so as to permit ofthe free entrance into the element of liquid, such liquid being supplied as will presently'ap ear. This liquid in the case in hand will, 0 course, consist of water, but may in other situations-be exchanged for any other suitable liquid. Such water is supplied from a faucet b, or through other connection, between the two flanges a from above and in aquantity sufiicient to afford a stream of such depth that the 0 ening between the outer wall of trough b and the upper face of the cylinder trunnion is effec ually sealed. Such water asit flows downwardly along'either side of the trunnion, enters through the opening in question into the trough b and will there accumulate such quantity as to similarly effectually seal the under portion of the joint. It will thus be evident that the connection between the pipe end and the trunnion is effectually sealed I about the entire periphery of said two memhere. A suitable trough C is provided for conducting away such water as may escape from the trough b. By the simple means thus provided I am enabled to seal a hori 'z ontally extending connection as satisfacthrough pipe 6 e the combination with the combination with a torily as it has heretofore been possible to seal one vertically alined. The volume of the stream of water need not ordinarily be very great if the intergaging parts of the joint are made of proper size and relative proportions. It has already been indicated that the particular field of use for the device, herein pointed out, is not to be regarded as beingin any sense a limitation, but merely an illustration, of the adaptability of my improved seal.

The modifications introduced in the form of device illustrated in Figs. i to inclusive, I

are for the most part of an operative character; such figures, in other words, indicate certain changes in details of construction such as I contemplate as being possibly desirable and which are fully within the scope of the invention. As will be noted from an inspection of ,the figures named, the principal change consists in introducing the liquid between the outermost of flanges a on trunnion a and the wall of trough b on fixed conduit B. The function of the other flange a accordingly becomes simply that of a deflecting plate whereby the liquid is prevented from running along'the trunnion and to the bearing;- so far as its active participation in effecting-a seal .of the joint is con- 1 .cerned, it might well 'be omitted. A pump 0 isfur'thermore shown in connection with receptacle C whereby the water after escaping from the seal may be returned thereto tobeused over again.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regardsthe mechanism herein disclosed, pro vided the means stated by anyone of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employe I therefore particularly point outand dis tinctly claimas my invention:

1.. In a device of the character'described, the. combination with fixed and rotating members, of means for supplying a stream of liquid to the joint between said members,

and engaging means borne by said members, respectively, junction with such stream of liquid, a closure of such joint. I 2. In a device of the character described,

a fixed and a rotatin an inwardly opening troughof said members and a" flange borne by the other member, and'means for supplying a stream of liquid to said trough, said trough form, in con unction with said stream of liquid, a closure between said members.

3. In a .device of the character described, fixed and'a rotating member, of an inwardly opening trough borne by one of said members and a flange borne by the other member, and means for member, of borne by one Y other so as to form,

and adapted to form, con-- engaging said flange soas to tween said flanges 11. A liquid seal comprising mtergaging,

supplying a. stream of liquid to said trough from above, said trough engaging said flange so as to ,form, in conjunction with said stream of liquid, a closure between said members.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fixed and a rotating member, of an annular flange encircling the latter and an annular trough borne by the former, said trough opening inwardly and inclosing said fiange,-and means for 'supply-- ing astream of liquid to said trough.

5. A liquid'seal comprising. an intergaging, inwardly directed trough and an outwardly directed flange of annular form, borne by the two members to be joined, respectively, and means for supplying a stream of liquid to said trough from above. 6. A liquid seal for a horizontal gas producer comprising, in conjunction with a rotary drum of such producer and a pipe alined with the discharge end of said drum,

an, annular outwardly projecting flange encircling such dischar e end, an annular trough borne by said pipe, said trough opening inwardly and inclosing said flange, and

means for supplying a stream of liquid to said trough.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fixed and a rotating member, of an inwardlyand an outwardly vopening trough borne by said members, re-

spectively, and means for supplying a stream] of liquid to said troughs, said troughs engaging with each other so as to form in conjunction with such stream of liquid a closure between said members.

8. In a device ofthe character described,

the combination with horizontally disposed fixed and rotating members, of an inwardly and an outwardly opening trough borne by said members, respectively, and means'for supplying a stream of liquid to said troughs from above, said troughs engaging with each in conjunction with'such stream of liquid, a closure between said members.

9. Ina device of the character described, the combination with a fixed and a rotating member, oftwo annular flanges encircling the latter, an annular trough borne by the former, said trough opening inwardly and inclosing the outermost of said flanges, and

means for supplying a stream of liquid between said flanges.

10 In a device of the character described, the combination with horizontally disposed fixed and rotating'members, of two annular outwardly projecting flanges-encircling the latter and an annular trough borne by the former, said trough opening inwardly and inclosing the outermost of said flanges, and

means for supplyin a stream-ofliquid berom above.

inwardly and outwardly directed troughs of annular form respectively borne by the two members to be joined, and means for supplying a stream of liquid tosaid troughs from above.

12. A liquid seal. for'a horizontal gas producer comprising, in combination with the rotary drum of such producer and a pipe alined with the discharge end of said drum,

10 two annular outwardly projecting flanges encircling such discharge end, an annular trough borne by said pipe, said trough opening inwardly andinclosing the outermost of said flanges, and means stream of liquid between said flanges.

Signed by me this 17 day of October, 1907.

HERBERT DOW. Attested byv Tnos. GiuswoLn, Jr., J AMES G. GRAVES.

for supplying a 

